


Equals Three

by tinx_r



Category: Riptide - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-03
Updated: 2008-06-03
Packaged: 2017-10-24 17:55:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinx_r/pseuds/tinx_r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Murray has left the agency. Why did he leave, and will he come home?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Equals Three

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel to Catyah's [1+1+1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/171350).

"It’s not the same without Murray," Cody Allen said sadly, glancing over to where his dark-haired partner, Nick Ryder, sprawled on the bench seat in the Riptide's salon. 6 months ago, the third partner in the detective agency, Murray Bozinsky, had accepted a lucrative job offer and moved to New York.

"Yeah, I know." Nick shrugged moodily. "But what are we supposed to do? He obviously was more interested in the money than in working with us. He chose to leave."

"I know." Cody took a deep breath. _Confession time._ "Nick... I feel like it might be my fault."

Nick frowned at him. "How in hell can Murray leaving be your fault?" Always quick to anger, Nick's fuse had been even shorter since Murray had gone East.

Cody wondered for a moment whether confessing was really what he wanted to do. _'What the hell,'_ he reasoned. _'We can't get along any worse than we have been. At least it'll be out in the open.'_ He spoke slowly, not looking at his partner. "Last time you were away with the National Guard, I - well, Murray and I - "

"You what?" Nick interrupted, and there was a tone in his voice Cody had never heard before, a tone that pierced him like an ice-cold needle. "You fucked him, didn't you?" Cody turned away, the ice spreading, unwilling to look at Nick. He couldn't bear to see the chill he could hear cracking in Nick's voice in his lover's eyes. "I knew it. I knew something was up. How could you, Cody? How could you do something like that?"

Nick looked at his blond partner, shaking. Guilt rose in his throat. He was a hypocrite. He'd been with Murray too... more than once, every time Cody was away in fact, for the last year.

"I'm sorry," Cody said, very low.

The guilt washed away on a new tide of anger. The thought of Cody with anyone else... **his** Cody - he couldn't stand it. It was intolerable. "Sorry's not good enough." Nick's voice shook. "I have to get out of here. I can't look at you right now." He leapt up and charged up the steps. He was about to step off the boat when Cody grabbed his arm.

"Nick, please!"

"Don't touch me!" Nick jerked away from his lover, spinning around, one arm raised.

Cody jumped back, and the confusion in his eyes steadied Nick slightly. _'Cody... God, my temper!'_ He took a deep breath. "Cody. Not now. I have to get some space or I don't know what I'll do. We'll talk. But - not now." Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed down the pier, steps quick and jerky.

 _'Jesus, what have I done?'_ Cody thought, grabbing the rail to steady himself. He was trembling. For a second there, when Nick had swung around, he'd thought Nick was going to hit him.

Slowly, he went below, down to the cabin he shared with Nick, and curled up on the bed. How had everything gone so wrong? One short year ago, he'd had it all. Him, the man he loved, their best friend, all living and working together. A team. And then - he'd noticed Boz looking at him hungrily. They'd been joking around one day - the old cliché, Cody thought. _'One thing led to another.'_ Before he knew it, every time Nick was away, there he was - with Murray... _'God. Nick's right. How could I?'_ Now, chances were, he'd lost them both. Murray had gone. He'd never said it was because of Cody, never let on, but Cody knew. Nick was angry - he'd seen Nick angry before of course, furious even, but this time... Cody shivered. That tone in Nick's voice, that chill, it was different to the hot flashes of rage Nick usually greeted adversity with. So different that Cody was afraid of what it might mean.

***************************  
Murray Bozinsky pushed his glasses up his nose and idly flicked through the airline magazine. Another hour and he'd be landing in LA. It had been a long day, a long flight, and he really didn't know what his reception might be on arrival. He hadn't told the guys he was coming.

The new job at the software company sure was boss. All the latest technology lined up for him in a spacious lab, access to any library on the planet, and a more than comfortable salary. But one thing the last 6 months had shown him - even with all that, it wasn't home.

Home was a cabin cruiser, a cramped bedroom-cum-office-cum-computer lab, and his two best friends. With a purposeful nod, Murray emphasized his decision. It was time to have a frank discussion with the guys about why he'd left - and about the possibility of coming back.

***************************

Nick sat in the Corvette at the harbor lookout, arms crossed on the steering wheel, head down on his arms. His body shook with deep, wracking sobs, as he tried to cry out the empty, hollow feeling Cody's confession had made him aware of. If he was honest with himself, he'd been feeling that way since Murray left.

When he could breathe again, he got out of the car and walked slowly to the barrier edging the drop to the water, scuffing his feet in the gravel. _'How could I be such an asshole?'_ he thought numbly. He had to talk to Cody, confess what he'd done. Apologize for losing it earlier. Try to keep it together while he did that. And somehow deal with the awful, hollow feeling right through him, the feeling that the tears hadn't changed and even his anger hadn't filled. Nick sighed. While he was at it, he'd better call Murray and tell him he was sorry too.

Nick paced the lookout parking lot until dusk, unable to find the resolution to return to the pier and face his partner. When he finally headed the Corvette back towards the harbor, it was to the heli-pad, not the marina. He didn't yet trust himself to face Cody without taking refuge in anger, and that was one thing he definitely wanted to avoid. There was a sleeping bag in the Mimi - not that he thought he'd get much sleep.

***************************

It was 7:30 when Murray arrived at King Harbor at last, disappointed to find the Corvette missing and the Riptide in darkness. With the car gone, the guys wouldn't be over at Straightaway's, he mused.

He went aboard, meaning to get comfortable on deck and wait for Nick and Cody, then noticed the boat was open. He went to the door and peered myopically down the stairs to the darkened salon. "Guys? Nick? Cody?" he called out.

When there was no response, he switched the lights on and went slowly down the stairs, beginning to worry. Cody never left the boat open and unattended. If a case had gone wrong... it wouldn't be the first time... Murray gulped, and swallowed a hiccup.

The Riptide moved gently beneath his feet, and even in his state of nerves Murray smiled. How he'd missed that feeling of being afloat these last months. Quickly dismissing the thought, he looked around the salon. _'Keep your mind on the job, Bozinsky.'_ Everything seemed normal, and he relaxed a little. "Nick! Cody!" he called again.

There was no answer, but he thought he heard a faint sound from the direction of Nick and Cody's stateroom. He stopped. What if he was interrupting...? Then he remembered the missing Corvette, and headed down the stairs.

Cody hadn't moved from the fetal position he'd assumed after Nick walked out. In Vietnam, he'd learned to shut his brain down and go to a cold, still place beyond the edge of his thoughts - a place a million miles from the longed-for oblivion of sleep, but a thousand times better than the stress and terror of awareness. Now, his body had reacted to his stress and anxiety, and flipped the shut-down switch.

Murray's voice penetrated Cody's stupor and he started. "Murray?" he murmured, blinking in the dim light. "Murray, is that you?"

"Yeah - hic - Cody, it's me."

 _'Murray sounds worried,'_ Cody thought absently. He knew there was something wrong - could feel it tensed inside him like a coiled spring - but right now he didn't want to go there, didn't want to remember. He started to drift again, and was recalled by Murray's voice.

"Cody!" Murray, rapidly realizing something was not right, sat down on the edge of the bed and took hold of Cody's shoulder. "Cody! Come on - hic - Cody, stay with me!"

Cody shuddered and took a deep breath. "I'm here, Boz." Then awareness came flooding back and he groaned. "Nick," he said aloud, and there was an ocean of pain in the word.

Murray went cold all over. "What's happened?" he asked, barely above a whisper. Terrible possibilities chased themselves around his head - car accident, gunshot... _'Let Nick be okay,'_ he prayed silently.

Slowly, Cody uncurled himself, rolled over and stiffly pushed himself up on one elbow. "We had a huge fight," he whispered. "He was so angry..." Cody shivered. Instinctively, Murray reached for him, pulled him into a sitting position and wrapped both arms tight around him.

Cody slouched against Murray, allowing himself to be held, trembling a little as he struggled to focus. He could hear Murray speaking to him, but interpreting words was a challenge he felt unequal to.

Murray rubbed Cody's back, his heart racing. He'd seen Cody in a lot of situations over the years - hurt, frightened, angry, sad - but never seen him like he was right now, losing focus and zoning in and out. Maybe he should get some help. Murray started listing options in his head. _'Police? No - no crime. Ambulance? Make that a maybe. Physically he seems ok so far. Go for help? But who from? And that means leaving him alone - no, cross that off. Nick? Where the hell is Nick anyway? Fight or no fight, Nick can handle Cody in any kind of space. But I don't know where Nick is and I don't want to leave Cody to find him anyway. Huh.'_ Murray shook his head. Absently, he noticed his hiccups had stopped. _'I guess it's up to me. Come on, Cody.'_ "Cody. Come on, Cody. I need you to wake up."

Cody shook his head. "Murray?"

"Yeah, Cody, it's me. Come on, wake up. Stay with me, Cody."

"You're - not here." Cody sounded puzzled. "You - went away."

"Yes, but I'm back now." Murray shook Cody's shoulders gently, determined not to let his friend slip back into the stupor. "Come on. Let's get you some coffee."

Twenty minutes later, sitting in the salon with Cody halfway down a cup of strong, sweet coffee, Murray decided it was time to get him talking. Whatever had gone on between his two best friends would need to be addressed before Murray could undertake the conversation he'd come to have with them. And Murray figured it couldn't do any harm to start the ball rolling. "Tell me what happened, Cody."

Cody turned exhausted, lonely eyes to his friend's sympathetic brown ones. "Oh, Boz..." he groaned, and took another gulp of coffee. "We've been fighting ever since you left. And I know it's my fault you went... because of what I asked you to do those times." Murray opened his mouth to speak, but Cody held up a hand. "I know, okay? Yes, the job was a good one, but it's not the first offer you've had. You took it to get away and I don't blame you. I'm an asshole." He shook his head. "I'm sorry - I'm really sorry, Murray."

Taking another mouthful of coffee he continued, "I confessed to Nick today. Told him it was my fault you left. I knew he'd be pissed, but..." Cody stopped, shuddered. "Well, he yelled at me, ran off the boat. And he hasn't come back."

 _'Nick didn't tell Cody... must have been too angry to think straight,'_ Murray thought. Out loud he said "That's what Nick always does to cool down, you know that."

"Yeah, but - " Cody swallowed the last of his coffee, and headed over for a top-up. "Nick was beside himself. I've never seen him like that. I..." Cody took a deep breath and admitted "I was scared."

Murray looked at Cody in shock. "You were _scared_ of Nick?" he echoed incredulously.

"No. No." Cody managed a laugh. "Not scared of Nick." He sighed. "Scared - absolutely fucking terrified - that I broke it, I broke us. Jesus, Murray..." He stopped speaking, looking down at his coffee cup.

 _'What a mess,'_ Murray thought tiredly. All that time he'd spent teaching the guys about problem solving and communication - really, he might just as well have saved his breath. _'Well, Bozinsky - at least they've broached the subject for you. This'll make your discussion go easier, for sure. Next step is to find Nick.'_

"Why are you back, anyway, Boz?" Cody asked suddenly, looking up.

"I want to come home," Murray told him. "But I wanted to talk some things over with you and Nick before making a decision."

"Gotta find Nick first." Cody sighed.

"He'll be back in the morning." Murray smiled at Cody, and was pleased to get a smile back.

"It's so good to see you." Cody's voice sounded much closer to normal. "Geez Murray... You have to come back. Look what we do without you! It's just a mess."

Murray grinned. "Everything'll be fine, Cody, I'm sure of that. Why don't you head over to Straightaway's and grab a cheeseburger? You must be hungry. I'll get unpacked."

Cody was surprised to find he was ravenous. What's more, Murray's words rang true. He was right. Nick did always take off when he was angry. Yes, Nick had been really upset, the cheating thing was a big issue, but still... they'd got through a lot together before. The two of them were strong enough to make it. "Great idea, Murray. And you're right about Nick. He will be back." Cody sighed. "Man, I've missed you."

Murray felt warm all over. Filing the moment in his memory for future reference, he stood up, crossed to where Cody stood next to the coffee machine, and put an arm around his blond partner. Cody set his coffee down, turned and hugged the slight man. "Thanks," Cody said quietly.

"Any time, Cody. Go eat." Murray returned the embrace. He was keen to get Cody safely over to Straightaway's so he could go in search of Nick. Murray didn't have the time or the inclination to wait out one of Nick's sulks. He had to be back at work on Monday, and wanted to have his decision about moving back to Redondo made by then.

***************************

Nick was never hard to find, Murray reflected, approaching the squatting bulk of the old Sikorsky. "Ahoy the Mimi!"

"Boz?" Nick's voice, closely followed by Nick himself, emerged from the hold. "What are you doing here? And how many times do I have to tell you, 'ahoy' is for boats. Not helicopters."

Murray grinned. How he'd missed these guys. "I came to have a talk to you and Cody." His expression became serious, and he looked Nick straight in the eye. "I've already talked to Cody."

Nick sighed. "I'm an asshole. I know."

"Yeah, you are." Nick looked surprised at the answer, and Murray grinned again. Being around Nick always did make him smile. "You look awful, too."

"Thanks." Nick smiled back this time. He did look awful, Murray reflected, pale under his olive complexion and with dark rings under his eyes. _'So typical,'_ Murray thought affectionately. _'Cody, always needing to be in control, locks everything up and zones out. Nick, the emotional one, has a tantrum, and I can tell he's been crying all afternoon.'_

"So, Nick." Murray gestured to the Corvette. "Let's talk, okay?"

Nick's anger had burned out hours ago. Shame at his behavior toward Cody and guilt about his own betrayal were the only things keeping him away from the Riptide now. Murray didn't have to work very hard to persuade him to go home.

***************************

Cody descended the stairs to the salon and pulled up short when he saw his lover sitting on the bench seat waiting for him. "Nick...?"

Nick stood up. "I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. Cody started towards him, but Nick held up a hand. Cody paused, confused.

"What?"

"Cody... I've got a confession to make, too." Nick's voice wasn't steady. "I - I slept with Murray too. I'm sorry. Sorry for doing it. Sorry for being such an asshole to you..." Nick choked off a sob.

Cody took the last step to his lover and wrapped his arms around him. "Is this the part where I yell at you?" he asked huskily. "Or can we just skip to the making up part?"

Nick gulped. "But - aren't you upset?"

"I guess." Cody stroked Nick's face, lifted his chin, looked him in the eye. "Nick Ryder, you're a fucking idiot," he said calmly. "But you're my fucking idiot, okay? We've both done wrong. But Nick, we're gonna work this out." Nick's arms closing around him showed Nick's approval of the idea, and for the first time that day Cody relaxed. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too." This time, Nick's voice was steadier.

Their lips met then, gentle, a little hesitant. Nick was the first to push for more, opening Cody's lips with his tongue, claiming entry. He felt rather than heard Cody's moan of acceptance and met his lover's tongue with his own.

When their lips parted, Nick stepped back and grabbed Cody's hand. "Downstairs."

Cody nodded mutely and they headed for their cabin, both in a hurry. Nick closed the door, pulling his shirt off as he did so. By the time he turned around, Cody was naked and reaching for his pants. With a chuckle, Nick allowed himself to be pushed back on the bed and divested of his jeans and underwear. Cody would have dived straight for Nick's cock, but Nick grabbed his shoulder.

"What?" Cody paused, stroking Nick's hips.

"Wanna make out." Nick tugged at his arm. The tensions of the last 6 months had turned their love-making mechanical rather than tender. Nick wanted to reclaim their loving closeness as well as his lover's body.

Cody rolled on to the bed next to him. "Has been awhile, huh?" he agreed, nuzzling into his lover's neck, breathing in the familiar scent of Nick until he could almost taste him. Then gently, he did taste, biting delicately at the top of Nick's shoulder, nibbling along his collarbone to the sweet spot... _there_. He echoed Nick's happy moan as Nick stroked his ribcage, firm enough not to tickle, light enough to thrill.

Releasing Nick's throat, Cody captured his mouth none too gently, his tongue aggressive, taking no prisoners. Nick wasn't fighting, meeting each thrust of Cody's tongue with his own then giving ground, inviting his lover further in. One hand moved over Cody's back, firm short drags alternating with soft strokes. With the other hand, he cupped Cody's ass cheek, pulling him close as he started to thrust his hips against him.

"Cody," Nick whimpered softly when his mouth was released. There'd be no who-gets-to-top wrestling match tonight - if Cody didn't get inside him soon he thought he'd explode with want.

"You're gorgeous," Cody panted into his ear, and Nick moaned as his lover's hand grazed his nipple. "I love you."

"Love you too." Nick squeezed Cody's ass. "Need you, baby."

"I know." Cody kissed him again and feelings overwhelmed Nick. The softness of Cody's lips, the warmth of his body, the light stroke of Cody's fingers on his skin... He felt his legs being pushed apart and moved to help, drawing one knee up. _'Cody must have got the lube from the nightstand somehow,'_ he mused, as a finger, cool and slick, pressed and circled on his pucker.

"Yessss," Nick sighed as Cody's finger probed past his entrance. His cock jumped and he moaned as Cody's other hand stroked his belly, up to his chest, back down towards his groin. He didn't remember the last time he'd been this turned on. "Cody... need you now."

"You are so damned sexy," Cody murmured in his ear, and Nick whimpered as a second finger joined the exploration. "Gonna fuck you in a minute, baby. Want you so bad."

At last Cody was positioning himself between his legs. "God, yes," Nick moaned, as Cody lifted one of his legs over his shoulder. Cody pressed at his sphincter and they moaned together as his head slid past Nick's ring. Nick bucked, wanting more.

"Easy, babe," Cody murmured. "Don't make me go too fast, don't want to come too quick."

"Okay," Nick gasped as Cody eased further in. "Oh God. Want you, baby."

"Nearly there." Cody was regaining the control he'd thought he was about to lose when he'd first felt Nick's tight, hot passage. He pushed in, kept pushing until his skin rested hard against Nick's buttocks, felt Nick twitching around him.

Nick gasped, and made a sound between a growl and whimper. Cody smiled and took his first short stroke. "Yes. Nick. Oh, yes."

They moved together, Nick bucking and writhing, Cody alternating short and hard with long and slow when he felt himself too close. Nick's hands clutched the sheet, reaching up now and then to grab Cody's ass, pull him deeper, faster, harder. "Cody..." Nick moaned, looked up at his lover through half closed eyes.

"Okay, baby." Cody upped the tempo, watching Nick's face. He pushed forward and saw what he was looking for as Nick flung his head back and went still. He groaned as he felt Nick clamping down, and slammed his strokes faster, feeling his orgasm wrung out of him at the same time as Nick, beneath him, jerked and jerked again, ribbons of come squirting over his chest from his untouched cock.

Panting, Cody allowed himself to collapse on to his lover, and Nick drew his knees up, preserving their connection. Lightly, his fingers traced patterns on the blond man's back. "Want to yell at me now?" he murmured.

"So we can make up again?" Cody lifted his head and grinned. "Maybe tomorrow. Right now..." He smiled into Nick's eyes, and Nick reached up, tangling his fingers into Cody's hair, pulling him down into a deep kiss. "Yeah," Cody murmured, when he could speak again. "That's about what I had in mind."

Nick wriggled under him, and the movement freed Cody's softening cock. Cody shifted, allowing his lover to move, and Nick turned on his side, facing him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." With one hand Cody tugged at the jumbled sheet, grabbing a corner and using it to roughly wipe his own chest, then Nick's. Nick kissed him again, gentle this time, and Cody pulled him close. Nick curled in against him, warm and pliant as he always was in the afterglow.

"So, both of us, huh? With Murray?" Cody tried, keeping his voice casual.

"I knew he wanted me." Nick sighed. "Then one day - you were away - I was drunk - and - well, he didn't turn me down. I'm sorry, babe."

Cody kissed the top of Nick's head. "I wasn't even drunk. I'm sorry, too." He paused. "You know what, though?"

"What?"

"I wish I could have watched you with him. That would've been so hot."

"Oh yeah?" Nick pulled back a little to look at his lover. "Actually, you'd have looked pretty damn good together, too." He licked his lips, then laughed. "It's funny - I was imagining any other guy with you, I'd be wanting to punch his lights out. Boz - I just want to join in."

Cody and Nick looked into each other's eyes, and neither felt the need to say any more.

***************************

Murray woke early the next morning and was in the salon reading when his ex-partners climbed the stairs from their stateroom. "Morning, guys," he said, grinning widely.

His friends didn't reply, instead coming over to stand in front of him. Murray looked from one to the other. "What's up?"

"We want to tell you how sorry we are." Cody spoke slowly, seriously, then glanced at Nick, who reached out and took his hand.

"Murray, you came and got me last night. Helped me come home." Nick's voice shook. He wasn't eloquent about his feelings in general, and Murray appreciated the effort he was making. "I want to thank you for that. You really made a difference." He took a couple of deep breaths, and felt Cody squeeze his hand encouragingly. "I know I always say friendship doesn't have to be talked about, only felt. Well, this time I need to do some talking. I'm really sorry for how I treated you before you left. You're the best friend a guy could have. I didn't treat you with respect and I nearly wrecked our friendship. You showed me last night what real friendship is all about and I won't forget again. I promise, Murray. And - again - I'm sorry."

Cody started talking before Murray could collect his thoughts sufficiently to reply. "I'm sorry too, Boz. I know I acted like an asshole. We were friends and I acted like that wasn't worth anything. Well, I want to tell you that it's worth a lot to me, and last night brought home to me how much. I don't know what I would've done without you last night, Murray. Thank you."

"Yeah. Thank you," Nick echoed.

Murray looked at his two best friends, standing in front of him hand-in-hand, heads bowed. They looked, in fact, like naughty schoolboys sent to the principal's office - Murray giggled involuntarily at the thought.

Two sets of blue eyes wearing identical expressions of injured confusion fastened on Murray's brown ones, and he giggled again - he couldn't help it. They were just too cute. "You look like school-kids sent for detention," he explained, smiling, and got tentative grins in reply. "Thanks, guys," he continued, becoming serious. "It means a lot to me that you made the effort to tell me that." He paused. "Listen. I've got some stuff I want to talk about with you, but first, let me buy you breakfast. This big paycheck I'm earning has to come in handy for something, right?"

***************************

After breakfast, back on the Riptide, Murray waited until the coffee was brewed, and then herded Cody and Nick to the table. "Sit down, guys. Sit down. My turn to talk." When he'd first decided to confront his friends, the mere thought of this moment had been enough to set his pulse racing and start a hiccupping episode. Since then, he'd rehearsed his speech so often he was hardly nervous any more.

"Like I told you both yesterday, I want to come home," Murray began. "I mean, there's a lot going for the new job. The lab is really boss, the work is totally amazing, but - it's not home." Murray looked from Cody to Nick. "I don't feel part of a team there. My colleagues are nice, but they're not my friends."

"We want you to come home too, Murray," Cody put in.

"Thanks, Cody." Murray smiled. "I'm glad. There's just one problem."

"Sexual harassment?" Nick spoke jokingly, but his eyes were serious. Then he gulped "God, Murray, I'm so sorry," and dropped his head into his hands.

"Nick," Murray said quietly, repeating it when Nick didn't look up immediately. "Nick."

Nick raised his head again, and Murray looked from him to Cody, ensuring he had both their attention.

"Okay," he continued. "Let's get one thing crystal clear. You both asked me for sex. I agreed. You didn't do anything _to_ me, I was a willing participant." Murray took a couple of deep breaths. _'Now for the hard part.'_ "Guys - Cody - Nick - I had sex with you - both of you - because I wanted to. Because I want you. I love you. It was the closest I could get to having you. So if I'm going to come home, if we're going to live together again, you need to know that I am working through that."

The only sound was the soft creaking as the Riptide shifted gently in her moorings. Murray turned his back on his friends, not wanting to see their expressions. Now that his piece was said, his nerves came flooding back.

Cody and Nick looked at each other. Their eyes did their talking for them, and the conclusion they came to was swift and unanimous. Cody leaned forward and kissed Nick, brief yet hard, then spoke. "Murray, what does 'working through' mean?"

Murray opened his mouth to reply and hiccupped instead. _'Great.'_ Aloud he said "Learning not to love you. Learning not to mind that - hic - you don't love me."

"Which one, Boz?" Nick asked softly. "Me? Or Cody?"

"Both." Murray hiccupped again. "I love you both, guys."

Nick and Cody exchanged one more glance, and got up from the table. Murray, still facing away from them, was only aware his friends had moved when they appeared on each side of him.

"Murray." Cody spoke softly. "We want you to come home. Nick and I - without you, we don't fit any more. It's like there's a piece missing."

"We need you." Nick was standing so close that Murray could feel his body heat. "We love you too, you know."

On Murray's other side, Cody closed in. "We need somebody, somebody _smart_ , you know, someone really bright, to point stuff out to us. Nick and I, we don't always catch on that quick. We didn't realize we loved you... until now."

"Yeah. Even though we're detectives, there's times we miss what's under our noses."

Murray put one hand on Nick's chest, one on Cody's and pushed them back a step. With the help of the Roboz and a new program he'd conceived, he'd brainstormed every possible outcome to this conversation. Based on his extensive knowledge of his friends, he'd even felt able to mathematically calculate the probability of each possible outcome. What he thought he'd heard Nick and Cody suggesting had rated so low in his probability calculations that he'd hesitated to include it in the results matrix at all.

The gentle teasing about being smart, about being detectives, made it harder to know exactly what they meant. _'They cant mean they want a three-way relationship. No. Much more likely they're suggesting an occasional threesome - that rated 54% probability, it was the most likely outcome.'_ Murray sighed. Well, he couldn't do that. "Guys. I can't have sex with you. Because of how I feel about you, it'll screw with my head. I'm working on not loving you, remember?"

"No, Boz." Cody sounded amused. "We don't want to screw with your head, and we don't want you to not love us either."

Nick captured the hand resting on his chest and stepped close again, his body right against Murray's. "Yeah, Boz. We want to screw with other parts of you. And we want you to keep right on loving us."

"Really?" Murray suddenly realized his hiccups were gone.

"Really." Cody stepped close too, one arm going around Murray, the other around Nick. "What do you think?"

Murray sighed beatifically. "I think it's totally boss!"

Nick raised Murray's hand to his lips. He kissed each finger lightly, then turned his attention to Murray's palm. Murray closed his eyes and allowed Cody to take his weight, moaning softly as Cody's mouth found his. He and Cody had never kissed before, and Cody's lips felt even better than he'd imagined.

Someone was unbuttoning his shirt - Nick, he realized, noticing his hand had been set free. Employing it, he reached up and cupped Nick's face, stroking his thumb over the dark cheek. "Love you, Murray," Nick whispered, and Murray groaned. Those words were so sweet, and he'd waited so long for them...

Seconds later, Nick had Murray's shirt off and pulled him away from Cody's kiss, into his arms. "Nick...?" Murray asked softly, as Nick dropped to the floor of the salon, lowering Murray with him.

"Trust me, Boz." Murray could hear the grin in Nick's voice. "None of us are gonna be able to stand up for much longer." He illustrated his point by tonguing one of Murray's nipples.

"God, yes," Murray moaned, feeling more hands undoing his pants. _'Cody - must be Cody...'_ he realized with part of his brain. He knew where Nick's hands were, stroking his chest and back. Cody's mouth caressing the head of his cock ended conscious thought. "So good," he moaned, and then Nick's tongue parted his lips and stopped him from speaking again.

Murray relaxed against Nick, spreading his legs wide to allow Cody easy access, arching back as Nick's hands explored his chest. He gasped as Cody pressed his thighs apart, moving lower to mouth his balls. Curious, he pulled away from Nick's lips to look down at the golden head between his legs.

Cody looked up, met his eyes and murmured "Sweet Murray," before licking his way along Murray's shaft. Murray moaned and surrendered to Nick's teeth gently closing on his neck.

Feeling with one hand, Murray navigated to Nick's groin and closed his fingers around his length. "Niiiice, Murray," Nick whispered to him and mouthed lower, lapping at his nipple.

Murray moaned again, dropping his head back and starting to thrust his hips to meet Cody's mouth. He felt Cody's chuckle, a vibration adding to the incredible sensations already beginning in his groin. It was too good to last long, and as Cody applied himself to his task, working his jaw muscles, Murray cried out. "Oh God! Cody! Yes!"

"Come for us, Murray," Nick growled in his ear, thrusting his cock against Murray's hip and then kissing him hard. As Nick's tongue pushed its way past his teeth Murray's world exploded around him and he came with a wordless shout, filling Cody's mouth with pulse after pulse.

Gradually, Murray became aware of his surroundings again. He was lying on the floor of the Riptide's salon, in a pile of limbs... "Cody? Nick?" he murmured.

"We're here, Boz," Cody murmured back, and his hand closed over Murray's.

"Feel okay, Murray?" Murray realized part of what he was lying on wasn't the floor, it was Nick.

"Feel good," Murray sighed happily. "Very good."

"So... how long till you move back?"

"Two weeks. I can get out of the contract in two weeks."

"Excellent," Cody said, smiling. "That'll give us time to get a bigger bed made. Because although the floor up here served its purpose, it's not exactly comfortable. And our bed might be a bit small for three guys full-time."

"It'll be a good size for tonight though," Nick countered, grinning. "Or if it's not, Cody, you get to sleep on deck."

"Like hell. It's my boat. If anyone's missing out on the bed, it's you. Maybe Tammy can find room for you on the Contessa."

Murray lay back against Nick and squeezed Cody's hand. He knew he had a silly grin on his face but he couldn't help it. The friendly, familiar bickering of his two best friends might not be everyone's idea of perfect post-coital conversation - but for Murray, right then, it was the most welcome sound in the world. Happily, he closed his eyes, and started to compose his letter of resignation. 

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